Student Union
Some of Your Funniest English Mistakes
Last week we shared a post from VOA intern Matthew Kopfer, who talked about common mistakes Russians make when learning English, and why some of them are very funny to Americans.
Since then, some of you have shared your own funny mistakes, or ones you've heard your friends make. Sure, no one likes to make a mistake, but being able to laugh at yourself when it happens makes learning way more fun!
Homayoon wrote:
Once a road in a rural township was under construction and it was supposed to be asphalted. While US military convoy crossing the area, the road was blocked. The American Soldier asked his interpretor that why the is blocked, the interpretor doesn't understand how to tell the word asphalt, he translates the word "Pukhtan" from his native language which means cooking. He respond his U.S soldier that "A road company is cooking the road".
Aziz wrote:
Once in Germany, our friend wanted to invite us to a party, final party. and he used word finishing party :D
Yosra told a story about a receptionist who asked his American client where he should "bark" his car (meaning to say park). The client told him to bark anywhere he wanted, and the receptionist parked the car anywhere - where it was then picked up by the police:
whene the director of the hotel know the story from the client who complained ofcourse he fired the boy who cannot diffrenciate between park and bark
A similar discussion has been going on at ExchangesConnect (connect.state.gov), where people who have done exchanges in the US or from the US to another country have been sharing their embarrassing stories of cultural miscommunications. Here's one of my favorites:
I still remember the time I was with one of my Czeck friends in American High School..where there was a trend of students asking others "whats up"... So, once someone asked us "whats up"..and my Czeck friend abruptly replied "CEILING"
If it happens to you, just remember this advice from blogger Jose Navarro:
Mispronouncing some words when you’re with friends is funny most of the times … Guess what? People like people that make them smile!
Here's one that happened to me when I was abroad in France. I was taking a dance class that was supposed to last an hour. It ran long, and I couldn't remember how to politely tell the teacher that I had to leave. So I ran over to my bag to pull out my French dictionary (a little electronic thing that looked a bit like a Gameboy) and figure it out. The teacher caught me and scolded me for taking out my cell phone during class. When I said that it was actually a dictionary, of course he asked what word I was looking up. I felt terrible and blushed really hard as I had to admit to him that the word was "se terminer" (to end, as in, when is this class going to end).
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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STEM, business top subjects for international students

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STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
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British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio

A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)